Archive for October, 2013

Vivian Davidson Hewitt has witnessed many important transformations in her 93 years. Tomorrow, Nov. 1, 2013, Hewitt – along with the rest of the globe – will be able to view selections from the collection of African-American art that she and her late husband amassed during their 50-year marriage online on the Harvey B. Gantt Center’s website (www.ganttcenter.org). Photographic images of the fifty-eight works that make up the John & Vivian Hewitt Collection of African American Art, donated by Bank of America, will be posted online, along with a video of Mrs. Hewitt introducing the collection, descriptions of the works and biographical sketches of each of the artists. Casual viewers, educators and students alike will be able to explore the collection and its artists in detail.

“I’m just so that happy that [the collection] stayed together and will be used for educational purposes,” said Mrs. Hewitt when she learned her collection would be posted online. “I’m happy that it will be available to the total community, to introduce them to marvelous artists who just happen to be black.”

Digitalizing the Hewitt Collection supports one of three Gantt Center strategic priorities. “We’re pleased that we can open the Hewitt Collection to the world,” said Gantt Center President & CEO David Taylor. “Our intention is to increase access beyond the facility’s four walls-to expand our reach geographically and demographically.”

John and Vivian Hewitt began buying works of art on their honeymoon and continued to give each other gifts of art for anniversaries and other special occasions. Living near many African-American artists in New York City, the Hewitts began to collect their pieces and befriended master collagist Romare Bearden and his wife Nanette as well as James Denmark and J. Eugene Grigsby.

“The Hewitts were not a wealthy couple yet they chose to invest in art,” said Taylor. “Their collection shows the power of a vision. We believe increasing access to the collection will inspire both artists and budding collectors.” “We bought each of those pieces because we loved them; they were a part of our lives,” Hewitt added. “Art enhances one’s life, enriches one’s life and expands one’s life. For that reason, it was very important in our lives.”

In 1998, Bank of America acquired the John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American Art. The bank sponsored a national tour of the exhibition, traveling it to over 25 museums across the United States, before donating the entire collection to its permanent home in 2009. The collection was last on display in its entirety at the Gantt Center in 2011.

Founded in 1974, Charlotte’s Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture (formerly the Afro-American Cultural Center) exists to present, preserve and celebrate the art, history and culture of African-Americans and those of African descent through dance, music, visual and literary arts, film, educational programs, theatre productions and community outreach. Named for Harvey B. Gantt, the prominent Charlotte architect and community leader and former Mayor of Charlotte, the Center is housed in an inspired and distinguished award-winning structure and is home to the nationally celebrated John and Vivian Hewitt Collection of African-American art. For more information, please visit (www.ganttcenter.org).

Generously donated by Bank of America to the Afro-American Cultural Center, the Hewitt Collection is an assemblage of fifty-eight two-dimensional works of art that celebrates the expression and passion of twenty artists – many of them masters – including Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Jonathan Green, Jacob Lawrence and Henry Ossawa Tanner. To see the collection online, please visit (www.ganttcenter.org).

Bank of America’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a strategic part of doing business globally. Our CSR efforts guide how we operate in an environmentally, socially, and economically responsible way around the world, to deliver for shareholders, customers, clients and employees. Our goal is to help create economically vibrant regions and communities through lending, investing and giving. By partnering with our stakeholders, we create value that empowers individuals and communities to thrive and contributes to the long-term success of our business. We have core areas of focus for our CSR, including responsible business practices; environmental sustainability; strengthening local communities with a focus on jobs, housing and hunger; investing in global leadership development; and engaging through arts and culture. As part of these efforts, employee volunteers across the company contribute their time, passion and expertise to address issues in communities where they live and work. Learn more at (www.bankofamerica.com/about).

Murphy, NC, artist Arlissa Vaughn has initiated a Kickstarter campaign to generate support for her year-long effort to paint all of America’s state flowers, despite a degenerative visual impairment.

Arlissa Vaughn is embarking on an ambitious new project to paint each of the 50 officially-designated state flowers of the United States. A crowd-sourcing Kickstarter campaign to support the creative project begins Nov. 1, 2013, and gives art enthusiasts an exclusive, limited time opportunity to become a patron and pre-purchase a state flower painting, sketch, or limited edition signed print. Not only that, but anyone who “likes” or “shares” the innovative project on Facebook or signs up to receive exciting e-mail updates will be entered in a free drawing for a chance to win a limited edition signed art print.

Over the next year Vaughn will paint live flower specimens at sites including the North Carolina Arboretum and the New York Botanical Gardens. So far she has located sites for 44 of the flowers and is still on the hunt for the other six, most of which don’t grow in the Southeast. Perhaps her greatest challenge, however, is that the acclaimed artist is coping with visual impairment due to a blinding genetic disease.

Just six months after graduating with her fine arts degree Vaughn was diagnosed with the degenerative condition. “The diagnosis almost made me give up on my artwork,” Vaughn acknowledges. “But I was inspired by discovering other artists who overcame physical limitations, and now my goal is to create as much art as possible while my eyes still cooperate.” Vaughn has also participated in a variety of art exhibits focused upon artists with disabilities, including a recent exhibition in Taiwan where she was an invited guest.

Meanwhile the flowers themselves have taken Vaughn on another kind of journey. “The more I delve into research regarding the flowers, the more fascinating details I uncover along the way,” says Vaughn. “I’m learning why and how each flower was chosen for its particular state, the folklore associated with it, and the unique botanical nature of each flower – such as its bloom time and biological structure. What surprised me the most is how many states share the same flower as their symbol. New Jersey, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin all claim the violet as their flower, for instance, with some specifying a certain type of violet.”

Arlissa Vaughn is an internationally-recognized acrylic painter, known for her calming atmospheric effects and unusual use of texture. She paints in a contemporary style with vivid color reminiscent of the Expressionist era, and is available for live events and custom portrait painting. Vaughn’s work has been exhibited across the USA and as far away as Taiwan, and can be found in both corporate and private collections. She holds a BFA degree from East Carolina University’s School of Art & Design and has been a professional working artist since 2005.

$3,100 was awarded to artists participating in the 54th annual Art on Main Fine Art / Fine Craft Festival, held Oct. 5 and 6, 2013, in downtown Hendersonville, NC. Nearly 70 artist vendors set up booths along Main Street for one of Western North Carolina’s most popular outdoor art festivals.

Awards were announced during an artists reception by Arts Council board member Francis Cullinan, and Kim Adams, Art on Main Co-chair. Robert Dunning and Robert Tynes were judges for the festival, deciding cash prizes worth a total of $3,000.

The winners were:

Art on Main Co-Chair, Kim Adams, presents Best of Show award to Suzy Schultz (right)

Best of Show ($1,000), Suzy Schultz, Atlanta, GA, Oil/Acrylic/Watercolor

In addition, Shirley Palmer-Hill of Wickwire fine art / folk art gallery presented Lucy Clark, a clay artist from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, with a $100 award in honor of American Craft Week. During October 4-13, artists, galleries, craft organizations and schools across the nation are celebrating the fourth annual American Craft Week in order to raise awareness of the many benefits of craft to our lives and to our economy.

Art on Main is presented by The Arts Council of Henderson County with major support provided by Morris Broadband. Additional support is provided by Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine, Wells Fargo, Bold Life, Mast General Store, and Blue Ridge Travel Guide. Grant partners for the event include Henderson County Visitors Center, and the City of Hendersonville.

The Arts Council of Henderson County is a community organization that promotes, advocates for and nurtures the arts in Henderson County and Western North Carolina. The Arts Council is supported in part by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources; several funds administered by the Community Foundation of Henderson County, Henderson County Government, Henderson County Tourism Development Authority, and the City of Hendersonville.

For more information contact The Arts Council at 828/693-8504, e-mail to (acofhc@bellsouth.net) or visit (www.acofhc.org).

Recognizing Caldwell County, NC, artists whose medium includes 2 and 3-dimensional art, the Caldwell Arts Council hosted an exhibit, featuring a competition for local artists. Lenoir artists and residents Thomas Thielemann and Lynda Lea Bonkemeyer judged the competition and awarded the following prizes:

Work by Emily Miller

Best in Show: “Untitled” quilt mosaic by Emily Miller (photo attached – it’s made of thousands of 1”x1” squares so it looks pixelated on purpose)

With a generous gift from Bank of America, The Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC, is launching a new Collections Initiative to strengthen the breadth and scope of art that the museum makes available to the global community.

The Mint Museum announced today that the bank is gifting to the museum a seminal painting by California artist Sam Francis, Untitled (Seafirst) 1979, from the Bank of America Collection. The painting is one of the largest by size – at approximately 19 feet tall by 38 feet wide – and one of the most significant works to enter the museum’s collection.

“The Mint is deeply grateful to Bank of America not only for this specific painting, which is an incredible gift on its own, but also for the opportunity to highlight to the community our new initiative to target and acquire works of art that will continue to elevate the Mint’s stature in the national and international arena,” said Dr. Kathleen V. Jameson, President & CEO of the Mint. “This historic occasion serves as the catalyst to spur dynamic growth of the Mint’s exceptional collection of international art and design.”

The painting has been hanging in the Robert Haywood Morrison Atrium of Mint Museum Uptown on long-term loan since the building first opened to the public in October 2010, and is one of the first works of art viewed by visitors entering the museum.

“We’re honored to partner with The Mint Museum to launch their new collection drive by donating the Sam Francis painting from the Bank of America Collection, as it adds another world-renowned piece of art to a permanent collection here in Charlotte,” said Charles Bowman, North Carolina and Charlotte president, Bank of America. “The arts play a vital role in Charlotte’s cultural identity and economy and we’re hopeful that our gift encourages other businesses and individuals to donate to the museum’s collection.”

This is not the first time that the bank has donated art to the Mint Museum. In 1978 the bank donated Il Grande Disco by Arnaldo Pomodoro, which remains on view at the intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets in uptown Charlotte as part of the Mint’s public art program, and in 2002 it donated six paintings by renowned Charlotte-born artist Romare Bearden.

The Mint’s Collections Initiative seeks to empower the museum’s invested donors, affiliate groups, committees, boards, trustees, and new patrons to give and seek out major examples of art, craft, and design for the museum’s collection. The initiative will remain a key institutional focus through fall 2016, culminating in the publication of a major publication on the museum’s exceptional permanent collection celebrating the landmark 80th anniversary of North Carolina’s first art museum. The Mint will celebrate new acquisitions with a local, national, and international public relations and marketing campaign.

The Sam Francis gift sets an appropriate stage for the types of works of art that the museum is targeting for future acquisitions. “Sam Francis’s monumental painting is a tremendously important addition to the museum’s collection of modern and contemporary art; one that animates the atrium in an utterly dynamic fashion,” said Jonathan Stuhlman, the Mint’s Senior Curator of American, Modern, and Contemporary Art. “Untitled (Seafirst) 1979 demonstrates the artist’s commitment to new forms of abstraction and allows the museum to share with its visitors the impact of two key artistic movements of the 20th century – Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism – something that was not previously possible.”

California-born abstract expressionist Sam Francis (1923–1994) was one of the 20th century’s leading interpreters of light and color. Francis maintained studios in Bern, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo, making him the first post-World War II American painter whose reach was truly international. Throughout a long and prolific career, Francis created thousands of paintings as well as works on paper, prints, and monotypes. His work holds references to New York abstract expressionism, color field painting, Chinese and Japanese art, French impressionism, and his own Bay Area roots.

As Mint curators and other staff have been developing the initiative in recent months, one local foundation has responded by providing another generous major acquisition to the museum, which will be announced soon.

“This initiative will serve to build the cultural assets of this community, better enabling us to drive and support education, audience engagement, tourism, and economic development for the region,” Jameson said. “We welcome the entire community to join us in enhancing our collections and preserving them for generations to come.”

Members of the media are invited to the atrium of Mint Museum Uptown, 500 South Tryon Street, today between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. to interview Jameson, Bowman, and other officials from the museum and Bank of America, as well as to photograph the Francis painting. High-resolution images and video of the painting are available upon request. RSVP by e-mail to (leigh.dyer@mintmuseum.org).

As the oldest art museum in North Carolina, with one of the largest collections in the Southeast, The Mint Museum offers its visitors inspiring and transformative experiences through art from around the world via innovative collections, groundbreaking exhibitions, and riveting educational programs. The Mint Museum comprises two dynamic facilities: Mint Museum Uptown and Mint Museum Randolph.

Located in what was the original branch of the United States Mint, Mint Museum Randolph opened in 1936 in Charlotte’s Eastover neighborhood as the state’s first art museum. Today, in a beautiful park setting, intimate galleries invite visitors to engage with the art of the ancient Americas, ceramics and decorative arts, fashion, European and African art, among other collections. Resources include a reference library with over 18,000 volumes, a theater featuring lectures and performances, and a museum shop offering merchandise that complements both the permanent collection and special exhibitions.

Mint Museum Uptown houses the internationally renowned Craft + Design collection, as well as outstanding collections of American, contemporary, and European art. Designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates of Boston, the five-story, 145,000-square-foot facility combines inspiring architecture with cutting-edge exhibitions to provide visitors with unparalleled educational and cultural experiences. Located in the heart of Charlotte’s burgeoning center city, Mint Museum Uptown is an integral part of the Levine Center for the Arts, a cultural campus that includes the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture, the Knight Theater, and the Duke Energy Center. Mint Museum Uptown also features a wide range of visitor amenities, including the 240-seat James B. Duke Auditorium, the Lewis Family Gallery, art studios, a restaurant, and a museum shop. For more information, visit (www.mintmuseum.org).

Bank of America’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a strategic part of doing business globally. Our CSR efforts guide how we operate in a socially, economically, financially and environmentally responsible way around the world, to deliver for shareholders, customers, clients and employees. Our goal is to help create economically vibrant regions and communities through lending, investing and giving. By partnering with our stakeholders, we create value that empowers individuals and communities to thrive and contributes to the long-term success of our business. We have several core areas of focus for our CSR, including responsible business practices; environmental sustainability; strengthening local communities with a focus on housing, hunger and jobs; investing in global leadership development; and engaging through arts and culture. As part of these efforts, employee volunteers across the company contribute their time, passion and expertise to address issues in communities where they live and work. Learn more at (www.bankofamerica.com/about).

The Bob Jones University Museum & Gallery (M&G) in Greenville, SC, is pleased to announce that it has received a $5,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation for its Arts Encounter: The Power of Partnerships program. The Museum & Gallery is a first-time grant recipient of the shareholder-funded Duke Energy Foundation.

The donation goes directly toward funding the Arts Encounter program, an outreach that served more than 9,000 K–12 students and educators with arts-integrated educational programming in the past academic year. Since beginning in 2008, M&G’s Arts Encounter program has added over 1,000 new students every year, serving the entire SC Upstate and parts of Western North Carolina.

“The Museum & Gallery is truly appreciative of this gift, and we’re excited about the beginning of what we believe will be a long and positive Upstate partnership as we extend the museum’s outreach to serve more students and families,” said M&G director, Erin R. Jones.

“Helping ensure a strong arts community and educating our youth about the importance of the arts are qualities that make the Upstate such an attractive place to live and work,” said Mike Wilson, Duke Energy’s district manager for Greenville County.

For more information about the Museum & Gallery’s educational programming and the Arts Encounter outreach, visit (http://www.bjumg.org/arts-encounter/) or call the museum at 864/770-1331.

Renowned Southern Artist Jim Harrison is partnering with Sandpiper Gallery of Sullivan’s Island, SC, and Edward Dare Gallery of Broad Street in Charleston, SC, to bring his coastal art to the coast. The two galleries will be the exclusive representatives in the Lowcountry of Jim Harrison’s original work.

“We are delighted to partner with these two prestigious galleries to make my original work more accessible for collectors in the Lowcountry,” said Harrison. “I have always had a strong affinity for our coastal areas in all of their natural beauty so having my work presented in the Charleston area is a natural partnership.”

Edward Dare Gallery on Broad Street’s Gallery Row and sister gallery, Sandpiper Gallery off the coast of Charleston on Sullivan’s Island present fine art in two uniquely Lowcountry venues. Whether you prefer to browse beautiful fine art in a casually elegant seaside gallery or in the charming atmosphere of historic Charleston, each gallery features an extensive variety of fine art including landscape, figurative, architectural and still life paintings plus exquisite pottery, photography, jewelry, unique works in wood, glass and metal plus bronze sculpture – all by some of the most sought after artists in the Lowcountry and accomplished artists from across the nation. Many of the artists represented have a personal connection to the Charleston and the coastal Carolinas and tend to include pieces that celebrate the colorful tapestry of the southern coastal culture.

Harrison’s success is evidenced by four decades as a full-time artist. With talent, hard work and perseverance, he has more than 100 sold out limited editions of the prints made from his paintings and thousands of collectors of his work across the country.

In Harrison’s art, place matters – whether that place is the sun-drenched Southern coast or a lonely barn in a rural landscape. His art reminds of the special places of the South’s shared past and present and evokes emotions that allow us to return in our minds to those places we hold so dear.

Harrison’s work is universal in appeal – blurring the lines that can otherwise mark the boundaries of society. His paintings and prints can be found in elegant beach houses, large international corporate offices, prestigious museums, and in modest country homes including The State Museum of South Carolina; the Morris Museum of Art; Spartanburg Art Museum; The Coca-Cola Company; The Maytag Corporation; Philip Morris Company; The Leo Burnett Company; and the Augusta National Golf Club.

This small-town, self-proclaimed country boy has successfully made his living as a full-time artist for more than 50 years, a major yet difficult achievement in today’s world. His highly praised one-man shows have included the prestigious Hammer Galleries in New York and the Conacher Gallery in San Francisco with his paintings also included in the renowned National Academy Gallery in New York.

In his career, Harrison has scaled the heights of success as an artist and received the accolades that follow. In recognition of his contributions, he was honored by the Governor of South Carolina with the exalted Order of the Palmetto Award. He was also honored for his many contributions to art and the State of South Carolina by the South Carolina House of Representatives. Their resolution praised Harrison as a “nationally and internationally acclaimed artist” and as “one of the Palmetto State’s Chief Art Treasures.” More recently, Harrison was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by the University of South Carolina for his many successful years as a professional artist, the prestige he has brought to the University and the State, and his generosity to a wide range of charitable organizations.

However – as is abundantly clear in his art – Harrison has continued to pay tribute to his humble, rural beginnings and how these beginnings shaped his life as an artist. From his birth in his grandmother’s house in Leslie, GA, until today, he has stayed true to the hometown, rural values of hard work and perseverance. And these values have been hallmarks of his career as an artist. In addition to his artwork, Harrison is the author or illustrator of several books including: “Pathway to a Southern Coast”, “Country Stores”, “American Christmas”, “The Passing”, and “Jim Harrison His World Remembered”. He now has a book titled “The Palmetto Tree and Its South Carolina Home” released in Spring 2012 by USC Press. For more information on Jim Harrison, visit his website at (www.jimharrison.com).

At Sandpiper Gallery you can enjoy lunch or dinner at one of the nearby restaurants and then satisfy your soul in this casually elegant gallery with their intriguing selection of fine art and American crafts. When visiting Charleston make sure you take the time to spend an afternoon enjoying Sullivan’s Island – then shake the sand out of your shoes, journey into the world of fine art and experience a gallery like no other. Both galleries feature a large variety of work that will interest both the serious fine art collector as well as the fine craft enthusiast; from stunning paintings to special gifts from the lowcountry – all presented in the kind of genuine welcoming atmosphere that is uniquely southern and will make you want to visit again.

The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC, will present Leonard A. Lauder, as part of its Distinguished Lecture Series, on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, at 6pm at Memminger Auditorium, located at 56 Beaufain Street. Admission is $35 for members, and $45 for non-members.

Founded with the generous support of Gibbes Board member and philanthropist Esther Ferguson, the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC, is launching The Distinguished Lecture Series to bring outstanding, world-renowned artists, art collectors, museum leaders, philanthropists, and art historians to Charleston to stimulate public discussion about the visual arts and creativity.

The inaugural speaker is philanthropist and cosmetic executive Leonard A. Lauder, who recently donated his collection of Cubist art to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This collection includes premier objects by Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris, and Fernand Léger and is considered one of the foremost collections of Cubism in the world. Lauder will share his illustrious experiences in the art world. “We are thrilled to bring Mr. Lauder to Charleston. His expertise as an art collector is unparalleled, and his role as a leader in American industry will inform and inspire the audience,” says Gibbes Executive Director Angela Mack. “You don’t grow if you don’t learn,” adds Esther Ferguson.

Learning has been a lifelong pursuit for Lauder, Chairman Emeritus of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Founded in 1946, the company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products, with annual sales of $10 billion. Its products are sold in 150 countries and territories across 30 well-recognized brand names. In addition to his activities with The Estée Lauder Companies, Lauder is extremely involved in the arenas of education, art, politics and philanthropy. He became a trustee of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City in 1977 and currently serves as its Chairman Emeritus. He is Co-Founder and Chairman of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a trustee of The Aspen Institute, Chairman of The Aspen Institute International Committee, and a member of the President’s Council of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital. Most recently, the Lauder Family received the esteemed 2011 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in recognition of their longstanding commitment to philanthropy and public service. Lauder’s lecture at Memminger auditorium is generously sponsored by US Trust.

Established as the Carolina Art Association in 1858, the Gibbes Museum of Art opened its doors to the public in 1905. Located in Charleston’s historic district, the Gibbes houses a premier collection of over 10,000 works, principally American with a Charleston or Southern connection, and presents special exhibitions throughout the year. In addition, the museum offers an extensive complement of public programming and educational outreach initiatives that serve the community by stimulating creative expression and improving the region’s superb quality of life. Highlights of the Gibbes collection can now be viewed on Google Art Project at (www.googleartproject.com).

See Lancaster will hold its annual ornament unveiling on Nov. 14, 2013, from 5:30-7pm at The Springs House, 201 West Gay Street, in Lancaster, SC. The 2013 edition is the fourteenth in a series of collectible ornaments featuring Lancaster’s historic sites & landmarks.

The event is free to the public with live music provided by “Ananda” and holiday refreshments by Alexander & Company, in the beautifully decorated Historic Springs House. Ornaments from previous years will be on sale for $6 each, the 2013 edition is $8.

After the unveiling event, the ornaments will be available for purchase at the The Springs House, Lancaster County Welcome Center, At Home by Casey, Ray’s Flowers, Winona’s Flowers & Gifts, Consignments at Elginwood Farms, Purple Rooster, Annette’s Hallmark House, McCray’s Flowers, SMH Sunshine Shop, Gallery 102, Lancaster Jewelers, and the Olde English District Artisans Market & Visitors Center.

For information, visit (www.lancastercitysc.com), call Cherry Doster at 803/289-1492, or e-mail her at (cdoster@lancastercitysc.com).

Tish Lowe, who trained in academic painting in Florence, Italy, will be guest artist at the Log Cabin Art Guild Saturday, Nov. 10, 2013, in the Training Center at Sesquicentennial Park in Columbia, SC. Refreshments start at 9:30am and the program starts at 10am.

Lowe plans to set up a very simple still life (such as one or two fruits) with a strong light on one side. She will give an overview of her process and then do a demonstration starting with a first stage (wash drawing). She will take the second stage (dead coloring) as far as she can in the allotted time.

Lowe’s award-winning art is exhibited all over the world, including galleries in Florence, Italy, London and Washington, DC.